Ontario's '4th oldest brick house' demolished after being ruled unsafe
Newmarket resident Mike Widdifield disappointed over 'shameful' demolition

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 22, 2016
By Ali Raza

One of Ontario’s oldest brick buildings was demolished on Tuesday, Dec. 19.

Historically known as “Maple Grove Farm,” the brick house on 17166 Woodbine Ave. lies within the boundaries of Whitchurch-Stouffville. The house was demolished over a period of two days after a demolition request was approved by the town in August.

A Heritage Advisory Committee was put in place to determine whether or not the house could be conserved and given a heritage designation. The committee found the structure to be unstable and the demolition permit was issued.

The current owner of the property is the Catholic Cemeteries & Funeral Services - Archdiocese of Toronto, who plan to construct a cemetery on the property.

Newmarket resident Mike Widdifield told the Sun-Tribune that the house shouldn’t have been demolished as it is “historically significant” and more importantly the home of his ancestors Henry and Martha Widdifield.

Widdifield has expressed great disappointment in the decision to tear the house down.

“This was absolutely shameful,” he said. “This is the worst thing historically that’s happened in the area in I don’t know how long. The place was never in danger of falling down; it would’ve stood another 200 years.”

The structure was built by Quakers (the Widdifields) who arrived from Pennsylvania in 1801, though the building was erected circa 1814. It would make the structure approximately the same age as Fort York.

Widdifield, with the help of architectural historian Bruce Corley, has been researching any information he can find to show the house should not have been demolished.

Among his research, Widdifield says the structure was “probably the 4th oldest brick house in Ontario.”

Corley, a member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals, says his job is to document the significance of the building.

“No one saw the interior of the building before the demolition permit was issued by the town,” he said.

After assessing the interior, structure and other details of the building, Corley concluded that the house served as a Quaker meeting house. It also had a school attached adjacent to the building, which Corley says is also one of the province’s oldest schools.

The Catholic Cemeteries & Funeral Services - Archdiocese of Toronto, in accordance with the town, reiterated that the structure was fragile and unsafe.